A brilliant, non-musician friend of mine, who specializes in reception history in art, was recently asked to be a panelist on a discussion of Telemann, and he asked my opinion both of Telemann and whether or not he should take the gig. Much of the reception history of Telemann is tainted by his association with Bach, both directly and indirectly. This is, of course, unfair. As I commented to him: "He ain't no J.S.Bach. But: who on Earth is?! A somewhat impish comparison might be Telemann is to Bach as Salieri is to Mozart. Both might be best referred to as "Maligned Masters" (which, incidentally, is the name of an interesting Salieri biography)."

Which brings us to this month's clip. Yes, Salieri ain't no Mozart, but: who is?! Like Telemann, he is hardly the hack that he's been presented as, however. Telemann was an excellent musician and composer and was even offered the Kantor job in Leipzig over J.S. Bach, but his bosses in Berlin refused to let him take the position (Bach subsequently got the job, which proved to be probably the most important of his career). And despite professional rivalry, Telemann was C.P.E. Bach's godfather. Similarly, Salieri was a revered composer and teacher in his day, and counted among his many students those minor figures Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, not to mention that Franz Xaver Mozart guy. And Hummel. And Süssmayr. And Liszt. And Meyerbeer....

Yes, Mozart and Salieri had a professional rivalry, and yes, Mozart did say some unkind things in some letters (not as many as popular mythology would have it, though, and mostly with Leopold), but they also got along quite well, on the whole, including to the very end. Salieri regularly conducted Mozart's works (including at least three Mass performances in September 1791), and he was a personal guest of Mozart's at one of the final performances of Die Zauberflöte that Mozart ever attended; Mozart was particularly taken with Salieri's sincere love of Mozart's operatic creation on this occasion.

In this month's clip we hear a charming, light aria, "Fabrizio caro per quel che mi pare," from Salieri's comic opera, La Locandiera, sung by Mirandolina, the titular Mistress of the Inn. Every man falls in love with her, though she at least nominally wants to be with the inn's servant, Fabrizio. When the Baron Ripafratta (the cavalier) professes that he is immune to women's wiles and detests them, Mirandolina sees a challenge. In this aria, she complains to Fabrizio about his jealousy and, after the aria, when Fabrizio suggests that "Presents are not given for nothing," Salieri skillfully segues into an indignant response from her. It is light operatic fare, but it is hardly mediocrity at all.